Course Requirements

A survey of the marketing structure for the creation, research, and distribution of goods and services for all types of corporations is examined. Specifically, the fundamentals of the marketing mix: product development, promotion activities, price objectives and placement of goods or services will be explored. Students will also examine how communication, distribution, and exchange activities affect consumer behaviors.

Businesses today rely on a robust and vibrant social media presence to tell their story to a wide variety of audiences, for a wide variety of purposes. This course explores the ways that businesses can use an intentional social media strategy to meet their organizational goals. Social media tools, their benefits and limitations, and their usage will be explored. Prerequisite: BUS226

This course builds a bridge from student's general education to the work they do in the field of business. With the aim of preparing students for both professional life and graduate work, this writing-intensive course introduces disciplinary strategies for preparing routine business correspondence, for investigating provocative issues, and for communicating to others about them. In this way, the course offers students time to learn and to practice more advanced skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening; in using appropriate software support in presentations; and in mastering information literacy in the field of business. The course emphasizes fundamental principles of communication with time-on-task and real world, discipline-specific models for communication tasks.
Prerequisites: ENG 114, ENG 134, and ENG 124

This course focuses on communicating effectively in a culturally-diverse world. Students receive a solid grounding in Cultural Anthropology combined with Interpersonal Communication theory and practice to develop knowledge and skills essential for communicating effectively across cultural borders. Through lectures, small group discussions, research projects, videos, and guest speakers, students learn first to identify other peoples cultural patterns and then to analyze strategies for adjusting their own communicative styles to resolve and to avoid intercultural conflicts. Students demonstrate proficiency in intercultural theory and practice through writing assignments, including a formal cross-cultural research paper; oral presentations; and a variety of class activities and assignments.
Prerequisites: ENG 114 and ENG 124

As the final course in the CIT core, Communicating for Leadership serves as a bridge to upper-level courses in students fields of study. Furthermore, different sections are taught by instructors in these fields. This allows students to study the specialized communication styles and demands associated with effective leadership in their majors; that is, business majors study corporate communications; students in legal studies examine communication models and strategies for conflict resolution, liberal studies majors draw upon multimedia skills and technologies to enhance their communications, etc. Through readings, writing projects, discussions, and role-plays, students also study interpersonal communication skills, verbal and non-verbal communication, the dynamics and ethics of interviewing, and organizational and small group communication. While writing, reading, listening, and information literacy are integrated into the course, the course offers explicit instruction in public speaking and offers students opportunities to practice speaking to multiple and complex audiences in forums relevant to their fields of study.

Prerequisites: ENG 114, ENG124, ENG 134

This course introduces students to the information age and its significance in our personal and professional lives. Students explore mass communication from the perspectives of advertising, film, journalism, public relations, radio, and television. Other topics may include multimedia and interactive technology, the Internet and international communication.

This course provides students with a survey of the field of human communication. Students will explore the symbolic nature of both verbal and nonverbal communication in several contexts including dyadic, small group, intercultural and organizational settings. Within and across contexts, students will study fundamental communication processes such as message construction, listening, persuasion, deception, and relationship development.

Mass Communication is changing more rapidly now than at any time in the past century. Journalists, public relations practitioners, corporate communicators and professionals in any discipline or industry are expected to know how to use a range of storytelling forms to reach their audiences. Today’s professional (at all levels) should be able to gather and edit simple text, graphics, photos, audio and video as well as use the latest social media, and analytics dashboards. This interactive course will examine those changes and provide valuable “how-to” practice in communication technology and content delivery. As students learn about communication technology in the Media Lab, they will become more familiar with the hardware, software, and devices used in the industry as well as in varied disciplines and workplaces. Communication technology is the fusion of computer science and electronic media -- offering skills and opportunity to present, share, distribute and manage information.

This course will examine the principles of public relations and advertising. Areas of discussion include: organizational aspects, the environment (workplace and marketplace), fact finding, planning and programming, implementation, evaluation and audience analysis.

This course provides students with an overview of the writing process involved in the creation of content for both traditional and ‘new’ media. Students will learn the stylistic differences inherent in the construction of news stories, ad copy, marketing pieces, etc. Concurrently, they will analyze specific target audiences in order to achieve clearly formulated rhetorical objectives. Through lecture, discussion, and projects, students will gain an understanding of the varied contexts within traditional media, such as TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines, along with the changing trends found in newer forms of social media, such as e-zines, blogs, and podcasts. Writing used in internal (corporate/organizational communications) and external (public relations, marketing) communications will also be included.

This course focuses on the role and utilization of new media from both a practical and theoretical vantage point. Students will examine how media technologies shape crucial facets of contemporary society—from business to politics, economics, corporate/organizational environments, and communities. Throughout the course, we will move from basic concepts of new media to more in-depth explorations of how digital media technologies have evolved, and their continued impact on modes and strategies of communication. Students will gain practical, “hands on” experiences with digital media technology throughout the course, gain experience applying these technologies towards creating digital content, and understand the implications of these technologies on practices of communication.

A survey of the research investigating how the concept of gender is socially constructed and defined through communication practices, how individual gender identities are communicatively constructed, and how gender identities affect communication practices.
Prerequisite: ENG 124

Building on other Communication courses, this course provides students with the awareness and skills to be a corporate and organizational communication professional. It will explore the growing field of corporate/organizational communication by emphasizing the theory and function of communication within government, businesses, industrial firms, hospitals, schools and other organizations. Attention will be given to strategies for diagnosing and effecting change in an organization’s internal and external communications strategies, and for maintaining positive reputations with an organization’s stakeholders. Students will become versed in the major theories of organizational communication, and will examine the role of technology, corporate culture, leadership, teamwork, ethics, and diversity in communication. This course will serve as the capstone experience of the Communications degree.
Prererquisites: CIT 300, CMS220, LOS 315

In this course, students will be provided a baseline of knowledge of the fundamentals of computers and digital literacies to ensure they will be able to understand a constantly changing technology oriented landscape. In this course, students will be exposed to the fundamentals of computing technology, including computer hardware and software concepts; the Windows operating system and commands; drives, folders, and files; Google’s suite of applications; use of the Internet and growing connectivity with everyday devices; and digital literacy knowledge and skills. By mastering the fundamentals of computing technology and demonstrating digital literacy, students will have the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century workforce.

In this course, students will be provided a baseline of knowledge of the fundamentals of computers and digital literacies to ensure they will be able to understand a constantly changing technology oriented landscape. In this course, students will be exposed to the fundamentals of computing technology, including computer hardware and software concepts; the Windows operating system and commands; drives, folders, and files; Google’s suite of applications; use of the Internet and growing connectivity with everyday devices; and digital literacy knowledge and skills. By mastering the fundamentals of computing technology and demonstrating digital literacy, students will have the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century workforce.

This course introduces the integration of communication skills essential for effective reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college level. In this writing intensive course, students develop composition skills to produce collegiate-level papers modeling rhetorical modes and thematic content in addition to strategies for reading complex texts; presentation skills for personal introductions, verbal summaries of readings and response writings, and peer review of papers; and basic technological skills for word processing, e-mail, and introductory-level online research.

In this course students will apply the practices for effective reading and writing introduced in ENG 114 to the distinctive language and forms of various disciplines. This course lays the foundation for academic and professional research and stresses the use of appropriate and effective information sources. Readings for a variety of academic audiences will provide students with strategies to communicate in the sciences, business and technology, psychology, liberal studies, and the social sciences. Research and documentation skills appropriate to the disciplines are stressed. In addition to leading students through the research process from start to finish, this course will examine the many ramifications of academic honesty.
Prerequisite: ENG 114

Selected readings in fiction, poetry, and drama introduce the student to literary types and techniques. These readings provide a basis for collegiate-level discussion, analysis, and the development of critical judgment. Building on the communications and research skills from earlier courses in the sequence, this course emphasizes continued practice in writing, and students complete a documented research paper using primary and secondary sources as one of the course writing assignments. Discussions and oral presentations based on assigned literature support the overall goal of the sequence: to enhance the advancement of the students, first academically and then professionally.
Prerequisite: ENG 114

A topical and chronological survey of American history from the time of European settlement through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Emphasis will be placed on historical methodology, interpretive skills, and oral and written expression. Topics to be covered include the impact of settlement on native peoples, slavery, the development of American identity, the creation of an independent government, and the threat posed by the Civil War.
Offered in the fall semester

Leadership requires a balanced understanding of human behavior and applied managerial skill. This course introduces organizational studies and organizational behavior. It examines the history of the field as well as the critical role that theory and research play in the discipline. Topics include the characteristics of effective leadership and organizational power, different frameworks for leadership and leadership styles, building and managing high-performing diverse teams, managing a diverse and inclusive organization, supporting diverse employees, and effective and ethical managerial decision-making.

MAT112 or MAT120

Using an active learning approach, students will explore psychological perspectives and methods as explanations for human behavior and mental processes. Other topics include: neurophysiology, consciousness, learning, personality theories, and psychological disorders.

This required interdisciplinary course is designed to give all students entering the One-Day Program a common experience and foundation for their education. Students examine leadership within the larger context of our interdependent world and their own strengths, values and aspirations. Students also examine learning styles, academic requirements, communication skills and technology to create a personalized action plan for success in the One-Day undergraduate experience and beyond.

This required interdisciplinary course builds on the foundation created in WEL 220 to deepen students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes related to career, leadership and financial development. Through a focus on well-being students will strategically delve into ways to manage their own growth and development while understanding the opportunities to build on their purpose, passion and potential.

This capstone course is an interdisciplinary course designed to give senior-level students an opportunity to create a learning experience that allows them to apply knowledge, skills and personal development to a project that also contributes to a family, organization and/or community. This course combines academic study with practical application of leadership, communications and technology skills as a springboard for the student to move forward into the future as an empowered woman. Students may choose to complete research, community-based projects and/or service learning projects. As a culminating experience, this course also provides the platform for assessing students’ progress and proficiency.